The City of Cape Town has offered their Council Chambers after the Parliament fire. Image: Parliament / Twitter
Parliament fire: Democratic Alliance calls for independent probe
The Democratic Alliance has officially demanded an independent probe into what led to Parliament burning on Sunday.
The City of Cape Town has offered their Council Chambers after the Parliament fire. Image: Parliament / Twitter
DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone has voiced the opposition party’s concerns in the aftermath of the Parliament fire. The opposition party governs over the City of Cape Town and has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s praise for its emergency response teams.
“We thank President Ramaphosa for acknowledging that the City of Cape Town has an incredible fire response team, and agree completely with his assessment. Had it not been for these firefighting heroes, who responded within six minutes of getting the call, we could have seen nothing but a pile of ash where the buildings of hope and freedom once stood.”
DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone
Parliament maintenance declining for years: DA
However, this pleasant tone was rather short lived with Mazzone claiming that the incident was the result of neglect.
“It cannot be denied that the upkeep of Parliament, security and general maintenance has been headed on a downward trajectory for the last ten years. The buildings have become neglected, dirty, dangerous and certainly not befitting of the home of South Africa’s democracy. Today’s disastrous fire has been a catastrophe just waiting to happen.”
DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone
While the DA acknowledged the investigation currently underway, it insisted that an independent probe is in order.
“It has come to our attention through the Chief Whips’ Forum that SAPS is awaiting permission from the Fire and Emergency Services to take control to conduct an investigation. It is our belief that an independent investigation should also be launched immediately, led by fire, arson and forensic experts to ensure nothing is missed or overlooked.”
DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone
DA: The truth must out
Furthermore, the opposition party has demanded that ANC leadership be transparent over the incident:
“It has been reported that a 51-year-old male is being held for questioning. The truth must out, and the President, Minister Bheki Cele and Minister Patricia de Lille must be completely open and transparent in sharing all information with the South African public. It is after all the People’s Parliament and they have the right to know the truth.”
DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone
